I just wanted to sleep!
by I'mwastingmylifeinhere
Summary: Have you ever tried to sleep but weren't able to because someone at home kept talking really loudly? That's what happened to Nico. He was angry at first that he didn't get to sleep but... at least he learnt something wery interesting because of it. Or the one where Annabeth is a scheming little shit and we all love her for it.


All Nico wanted to do was sleep. Was that too much to ask for? The _one time_ Will Solace had ordered him to bed rest and Nico didn't protest, the self-entitled doctor just _had_ to have a conversation right outside his door.

After the war with Gaia had ended, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter organized various events to strengthen the relationship between the two camps, and it worked great. They would take turns throwing the events and this time it was Camp Half-Blood's turn. They decided to stick to their traditional game, so the biggest capture-the-flag game the camp had ever seen took place and each side was determined to win.

The Athena Cabin was – of course – in charge of CHB's strategy.

"Our main force," Annabeth had explained to the Counselors, who would then explain the plan to their cabins, "will be lead by the Ares Cabin. Most cabins will be there, I will explain this part of the plan with more detail later. Camp Jupiter will be expecting a sneak attack, which is where the Hermes Cabin comes in."

Connor and Travis smirked. Lots of the older campers that were now in college had come to take part in the game and see their friends and siblings. It was spring break after all so they had time. And honestly, Nico was glad to see all of his friends again.

"Connor and Travis, I want you to pick your sneakiest campers. Their job will be to use the main force's attack as a distraction to steal the flag and fail."

"You got it boss – wait, fail?" Travis asked.

Annabeth nodded. "That's right. You will attempt to steal the flag but fail." She moved a few of the small human statues on the war map they had opened on the ping-pong table towards the small purple flag and then pushed them on their backs for visual reference. "The difficult part is that you have to make it seem completely natural so the Romans won't think it is part of the plan. The moment they drop their guard is when you act, Nico."

There were nods and 'ah's all over the room as the counselors understood Annabeth's plan. Nico didn't use his shadow travel during capture the flag, partly because it was unfair for the other team and partly because it exhausted him (and because of Will's nagging). Yet even without it, he still was really good at blending in with the shadows and going by unnoticed. Whether it was because of his parentage or because of years surviving on his own no one knew, but when it came to sneaking around he rivaled a Hermes child.

"You're group will be much smaller than the first one – just three people, including you. One must be good at manipulating the Mist to help the group hide better, so probably a Hecate child. When the Romans think they won," she made a pause for dramatic effect (one can only be around Percy Jackson for so long without getting affected) and snatched the purple flag from the map, "you get the flag."

The plan went great at first. Nico had grown to love capture-the-flag now that he lived in camp and played it every Friday. Sure, lazing around and sleeping though an entire day was good at first, but he got bored quickly. He wanted to move his bones and do _something_. And out of everything he tried in his desperation, capture-the-flag was the best. It was like battle but without the fear for your life that came along with fighting monsters. Relaxing was great, but the son of Hades thrived in battle.

The Romans had bought their trick and Nico's group was moving towards the flag when they were seen by a son of Mars that was watching the flag. Cussing under his breath, Nico found himself and his group getting surrounded by Roman demigods. Nico cursed again. The rest of the camp was relying on him to get the flag, he couldn't fail like this (even if they had a back-up plan for this situation). Without a second thought, Nico shadow traveled to the flag and taking it, winning the game for Camp Half-Blood.

The victory was short-lived though, at least for him. Even after so many months, his powers, especially shadow traveling, took a lot out of him and he passed out on the spot. While drifting in and out of consciousness, he remembered Will dragging him to the infirmary and ordering him to rest.

And that's how he ended up in one of the private rooms in the infirmary that they used for those seriously injured (like Paolo whenever he lost a limp). Nico had spent so much time in this room because of his fading and his exhaustion after using his 'Underworld-y' powers that he had come to refer to it as his room.

The son of Hades groaned and tugged the covers over his head to guard himself from the evil sunshine coming in through the window. Will insisted that the room he stayed in has to be bright so his fading won't start up again. On top of that, the blond had forgotten to close the door completely so Nico could hear him talk with Annabeth.

He groaned again and changed sides so harshly he was surprised they didn't hear all the creaking the bed made. He wanted to close the door but he didn't want to get up in fear of being too awake afterwards to sleep again. Was Will born in a barn? And for the God's sake, why did he have to have a conversation about his health with Annabeth right outside of his door when he was supposed to be sleeping? They weren't even whispering and was there really no other place in the entire camp to talk?

"Have you told Nico yet?" He heard the Daughter of Athena ask.

There was a pause and then "…No." Nico could picture Will running his hand through his hair as he sighed, a nervous tick he had that Nico may or may not find really attractive.

"Will-"

"Look, I know what you're going to say," the blond cut her off. "That I have to tell him, that someone else might if I don't, that I'm only hurting myself by not telling him, but I don't how to do it! How are you supposed to say something like this to someone you're supposed to be friends with?"

Nico was confused. What were they talking about? He was fully awake now and so was the worse-case-scenario part of his brain. He tried to stop himself from thinking about that possibility, but the thought formed itself any way. _Maybe Will doesn't want to be friends anymore._

"I get why you're worried, but everything will be fine." Annabeth reassured him, but it did nothing. Will appeared laid back and relaxed at first but he was a big ball of nerves on the inside. Sometimes he was able to control those nerves and others, like today, he wasn't.

"How will it be fine? How will it be fine when Nico hates me?" Despite his own worries Nico felt really bad hearing him panic like that. How could he ever hate Will? How could _anyone_ hate Will? Sure, he could be bossy when it came to his patients and he made all these pop culture references that confused both Nico and Hazel, but he didn't hate him. His feelings for the son of Apollo were far from hate, honestly.

And Annabeth seemed to agree because she answered "He won't hate you."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because I've known Nico since he was ten. Maybe we didn't have the best relationship," _That's an understatement,_ Nico thought, "but I know him enough to tell you that you're worrying for no reason. You need to stop torturing yourself with 'what if's and just tell him."

The son of Hades agreed, but he didn't know what he was agreeing with. The thought of Will not wanting to be friends surfaced again and he admitted to himself that if that made him happy, so be it. He liked Will and he deserved to be happy. At the same time, he was so frustrated. Annabeth was right – if Will wanted to say something he should just say it! It was annoying Nico how he refused to do it just from listening to this small conversation and it was obvious they had this talk before. _Just spit it out, how bad could it be?_

"Oh yeah, like I can just waltz up to Nico and tell him 'Hey, I know we're friends, but I have a huge crush on you so would you like to go on a date with me?'"

Oh. That bad apparently.

Nico pinched himself on the arm. Ouch. Okay, so he wasn't dreaming. He had to be dreaming though, right? Will Solace couldn't have just admitted to liking him. A-and wanting to go on a date with him. Nico felt his cheeks at the mere thought of it and he scolded himself. _Dammit, you're the Ghost King, not some squealing schoolgirl. Stop blushing!_

"Maybe you're right and he won't hate me completely but things will get awkward and I don't want that! I like being Nico's friend!"

"But you'd like to be more, right?" Nico's heart skipped a bit when Annabeth said that and more Gods forsaken mental images came to his head. Going on dates (even though he had no idea what a date should be like), holding hands and even… kissing. Nico let out a small groan. He should have never let Hazel talk him into watching romantic movies with her.

"Yes, of course I would!" Will answered quickly, really quickly, like admitting that he wants to be in a relationship with the son of the Lord of the Dead was as normal to him as saying his name. "I'd love to! The problem is he doesn't, he's straight."

Nico could have sworn he heard Annabeth face palm, but he wasn't sure.

The daughter of Athena sighed, that I'm-surrounded-by-idiots kind of sigh she often let out around Percy. "Look, I need to get going, but just try to relax. You'll figure this out."

Nico didn't see Will until half an hour later when he came in to check on him. After listening to (read: eavesdropping on) the healer's conversation with Annabeth, there was no way in Tartarus that he would be able to sleep again, so the son of Hades lay on his hospital cot starring at the wall and replaying everything he heard in his head.

When the son of Apollo came in he didn't act any different. It was the same medical check-ups and the same dam jokes he always said after Nico used his Underworld-y powers. How was he supposed to talk to Will after what he heard? Should he just ignore it and wait for him to bring it up? Or should he do something himself?

He didn't have to think about it too much because his body made the decision for him

"You really shouldn't talk that loudly about someone outside their door, you know," He said suddenly. The mortified look on Will's face told him he heard what he said and Nico wondered if Percy's impulsiveness was something you can catch.

"Y-You… You heard?"

Nico nodded. Whatever kind courage had pushed him to talk in the first place was now completely gone. He was terrified that he would mess up. But he wasn't one to give up halfway through.

"Nico, I-I… what I meant was – I didn't-" Will tried to cover things up (horribly too) but Nico cut him off.

"Y-you were wrong."

"Huh?"

"I don't hate you." _Come on, Nico. Say it. You transported a giant statue across the world, you can do it._ "A-and I'd like to go on a date with you."

He was pretty sure he broke him. The son of Apollo just stood there, starring at Nico with a dumbfounded expression. The more time dragged the more flustered Nico became. Had he done something wrong?

"I don't really know what you're supposed to do on a date but-" _No, I'm rambling. Stop rambling. Dammit, stop!_

"There's, umm," Will cut him off, looking equally as flustered as Nico. "There's a firework display after dinner. The Hermes, Hecate and Iris cabins have been working on it for quite some time. W-we could go t-there. I-if you'd like to."

Nico smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great."

When they sat down next to each other awkwardly that night at the fireworks, way closer that two friends would, they only faintly registered the rest of their friends looking at them and smiling. And they completely missed Annabeth's big grin when she said "mission accomplished."


End file.
